Dr. Helen

Commentary on popular culture and society, from a (mostly) psychological perspective

Friday, December 30, 2011

Questions Needed for Blog Talk Radio on Men's Issues

I will be a guest on Amy Alkon's radio show on Sunday, January 1st at 4:30 Eastern and our topic will be men's issues with a focus on paternity rights and relationships. For example, why do men have so few paternity rights? Should you get a DNA test? Why is fatherhood so unpopular that young guys don't want to be dads? Why do women have so many reproductive rights but men have few or none?

Do you have any questions or comments that you would like us to discuss regarding men, relationships, culture or sex? If so, drop them below and we will pick out some to discuss on air. Thanks!

Monday, December 26, 2011

I read a post over at Amy Alkon's blog entitled "Muzzling Men" that really made my blood boil, and it should make yours boil too, if you care about men and their civil rights. The post was on the work being done by Glenn Sacks and his group, Fathers and Families:

Fathers and Families has joined with the ACLU of Michigan in opposing the Michigan's Coercive Abortion Prevention Act (CAPA). It is one thing to criminalize violence or threats of violence designed to coerce a woman into having an abortion. It is quite another to criminalize men's personal relationship choices, as CAPA does. Fathers and Families does not take a position on abortion, but we do oppose CAPA.

There's a link at Sacks' site to email their letter to relevant committee members. From an op-ed by Sacks:

HB 5882 [CAPA] actually makes it a crime for a man to "change or attempt to change an existing housing or cohabitation arrangement" with a pregnant significant other, to "file or attempt to file for a divorce" from his pregnant wife, or to "withdraw or attempt to withdraw financial support" from a woman who he has been supporting, if it is determined that the man is doing these things to try to pressure the woman to terminate her pregnancy.

Why not criminalize the use of pregnancy by women to trap men into getting married? This makes as much sense as CAPA. Seriously, why aren't the Nazis proposing these laws tarred and feathered?

"You Have to Practice Happiness."

Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky says that the components of happiness are estimated to be 50% genetic, 10% life circumstances, and 40% of happiness comes through your thoughts and actions: the latter is where one can practice to improve their life.